Innehållsförteckning för #594 från AppleMagazine

In the HBO series “The Last of Us,” a fungal infection has taken over Earth, rendering the United States an apocalyptic landscape protagonists Joel and Ellie need to traverse. Fans unfamiliar with the video game, from which the series was adapted, might assume this is just another zombie show packed with action and gore. However, the story and the characters have subverted expectations and received praise from all corners. “The Last of Us,” whose first season concluded Sunday, has not only won over gamers with high expectations, but also people who don’t play video games. The series premiere drew 4.7 million viewers in the U.S., based on Nielsen and HBO data, making for HBO’s second-largest debut, behind “House of the Dragon.” “No one could have anticipated this, this reaction and…

Facebook parent Meta is slashing 10,000 jobs, about as many as the social media company announced late last year in its first round of cuts, as uncertainly about the global economy hits the technology sector particularly hard. The company announced 11,000 job cuts in November, about 13% of its workforce at the time. In addition to the layoffs, Meta said Tuesday that it would not fill 5,000 open positions. “This will be tough and there’s no way around that,” said CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Meta and other tech companies have been hiring aggressively for at least two years and in recent months have begun to let some of those workers go. Hiring in the U.S. is still strong, but layoffs have hit hard in some sectors. Early last month, Meta posted…

The recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, which catered mostly to the tech industry, may have you worried about your money. They were the second- and third-biggest bank failures in U.S. history. It all started last week when too many depositors tried to withdraw their money from Silicon Valley Bank in Santa Clara, California. That’s known as a bank run. The bank had to sell treasury bonds and other securities at a steep loss and more people kept trying to withdraw money as word of the situation spread, causing the bank to fail. Regulators took control of New York-based Signature Bank soon after, saying it was necessary to protect depositors after too many people withdrew money. In response, regulators guaranteed all deposits at the two banks and…

The Toyota Prius, which has become synonymous with hybrid cars the past 20 years, is fresh off a full redesign for 2023. The prior generation’s oddball styling, quirky interior and feeble powertrain are now in the rearview mirror. The new Prius now features an attractive look, a sleeker interior and a big increase in power. It’s even more efficient than the previous model. But it’s not the only hybrid car you should consider. The Kia Niro has been on the market since 2016, and like the Prius, it was also redesigned for the 2023 model year. The new Niro sports a stylish bold design, excellent technology and a roomier interior. But is Kia’s hybrid good enough to take on the long-running Prius? Experts compare them to find out which one…

App-based ride hailing and delivery companies like Uber and Lyft can continue to treat their California drivers as independent contractors, a state appeals court ruled Monday, allowing the tech giants to bypass other state laws requiring worker protections and benefits. The ruling mostly upholds a voter-approved law, called Proposition 22, that said drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft are independent contractors and are not entitled to benefits like paid sick leave and unemployment insurance. A lower court ruling in 2021 had said Proposition 22 was illegal, but Monday’s ruling reversed that decision. “Today’s ruling is a victory for app-based workers and the millions of Californians who voted for Prop 22,” said Tony West, Uber’s chief legal officer. “We’re pleased that the court respected the will of the people.” The…

The company behind the ChatGPT chatbot has rolled out its latest artificial intelligence model, GPT-4, in the next step for a technology that’s caught the world’s attention. The new system can figure out tax deductions and answer questions like a Shakespearan pirate, for example, but it still “hallucinates” facts and makes reasoning errors. Here’s a look at San Francisco-based startup OpenAI’s latest improvement on the generative AI models that can spit out readable text and unique images: WHAT’S NEW? OpenAI says GPT-4 “exhibits human-level performance.” It’s much more reliable, creative and can handle “more nuanced instructions” than its predecessor system, GPT-3.5, which ChatGPT was built on, OpenAI said in its announcement. In an online demo, OpenAI President Greg Brockman ran through some scenarios that showed off GPT-4’s capabilities that appeared…

Apple is transforming the way we interact with apps with Live Activities, allowing us to access time-sensitive information at a moment’s notice from our Lock Screen. But as the feature expands across more applications, some question how the technology can be used away from the iPhone and incorporated into Apple’s upcoming AR/VR glasses. LIVE ACTIVITIES ON IOS 16 The iOS 16 update brought several exciting changes to Apple’s operating system. Still, one addition that had everyone excited was the Live Activities feature, which helps users stay updated with real-time events such as sports games, ride-shares, food deliveries, and workouts right from their Lock Screen. Live Activities are a valuable addition to iOS 16, as they save time and effort by eliminating the need to unlock the phone to check real-time…

Whether it was the lingering drama of The Slap or the prominence of blockbusters in the best picture race, a bigger audience was lured back to the Oscars this year. The 95th Academy Awards, which aired Sunday night on ABC, was viewed by an estimated 18.7 million, according to preliminary Fast National Live+Same Day numbers released by ABC. That’s up 12% from last year’s show, but still low compared to most years. The evening’s main counterprogramming, the season finale of “The Last of Us” pulled in 8.2 million viewers across HBO and HBO Max. The show began at 9 p.m. EST, an hour after the Oscars started. A frequent criticism of the Oscars is that the show celebrates films that don’t have wide appeal. This year was markedly different, however,…

For anyone holding on to some latent hope that Idris Elba will be the next James Bond, I have some bad news: “ Luther: The Fallen Sun “ puts (another) nail in that very firmly sealed coffin. In one of the rare moments of levity in the sinister film, the embattled detective John Luther sits down at a chic bar and tells the bartender it’s been a long day (an understatement). “I would say a long day calls for a martini,” the bartender says. Luther’s response? “No.” He’ll take some water, and, “if it makes you happy you can make it fizzy.” This was not an accidental moment, “Luther” creator Neill Cross has said. Elba even wondered if it was a bit too cheeky. But it’s worth remembering that Elba…

At the beginning of the year, many people have their eyes set on goals. Some of these goals may include increasing your income, starting a dream business, or both if you’re reaching for the stars. Before you get your hands dirty in the sometimes chaotic combination of formal employment and entrepreneurship, here are a few pitfalls to avoid. NOT HAVING A PLAN FOR YOUR SIDE HUSTLE INCOME People get side hustles for different reasons. It could be to help make ends meet, save toward a dream vacation or grow your business to a point where you can quit your job. Catching up on my retirement savings is one reason I decided to start a side hustle. But you need a plan for that motivation to help make your side gig…

Samsung Electronics said it expects to invest 300 trillion won ($230 billion) over the next 20 years as part of an ambitious South Korean national project to build the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturing base near the capital, Seoul. The chip-making “mega cluster,” which will be established in Gyeonggi Province by 2042, will be anchored by five new semiconductor plants built by Samsung. It will aim to attract 150 other companies producing materials and components or designing high-tech chips, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Samsung’s new plants will be located near its existing domestic factories and will produce both computer memory chips used for storing data and higher-margin logic chips designed to perform a broader range of functions, the company said. A giant in the global…

Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse rattled the technology industry that had been the bank’s backbone, leaving shell-shocked entrepreneurs thankful for the government reprieve that saved their money while they mourned the loss of a place that served as a chummy club of innovation. “They were the gold standard, it almost seemed weird if you were in tech and didn’t have a Silicon Valley Bank account,” Stefan Kalb, CEO of Seattle startup Shelf Engine, said during an interview as he started the process of transferring millions of dollars to other banks. The Biden administration’s move guaranteeing all Silicon Valley Bank’s deposits above the insured limit of $250,000 per account resulted in a “palpable sigh of relief” in Israel, where its booming tech sector is “connected with an umbilical cord to Silicon Valley,”…

Depositors withdrew savings and investors broadly sold off bank shares this week as the federal government raced to reassure Americans that the banking system was secure after two bank failures fed fears that more financial institutions could fall. President Joe Biden insisted that the system was safe after the second- and third-largest bank failures in the nation’s history happened in the span of 48 hours. In response to the crisis, regulators guaranteed all deposits at the two banks and created a program that effectively thew a lifeline to other banks to shield them from a run on deposits. “Your deposits will be there when you need them,” Biden told the public, seeking to project calm. He also said the banking executives responsible for the failures would be held accountable. In…

With a new theme park attraction opened last month, an upcoming major motion picture and the sequel to a massive hit video game about to be released, everything’s coming up Nintendo. Doug Bowser, the head of Nintendo USA since 2019, spoke at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Super Nintendo World in Los Angeles: Q: You’ve got a new movie (“The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” April 7), this new attraction at Universal, and the new Legend of Zelda game (“Tears of the Kingdom,” May 12). What’s next, a prestige streaming TV show? A: You’re hitting on something which is really important. This is a milestone, what you’re seeing here with Super Nintendo World. Universal Studios is a great partner to allow us to do Super Nintendo World. I won’t comment on your question…

Belgium is banning TikTok from government phones over worries about cybersecurity, privacy and misinformation, the country’s prime minister said, mirroring recent action by other authorities in Europe and the U.S. The Chinese-owned video sharing app will be temporarily prohibited from devices owned or paid for by the Belgium’s federal government for at least six months, according to a post on Alexander de Croo’s website. TikTok said it is “disappointed at this suspension, which is based on basic misinformation about our company.” The company said it’s “readily available to meet with officials to address any concerns and set the record straight on misconceptions.” TikTok is owned by China’s ByteDance, which moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020. The company sought to distance itself from its Chinese roots, saying its parent company…